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Book. > S 6 4 US ' 



60th Congress! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1^"","?^?' 
2d Session I 1 INo. 1545 



George W* Smith 

(Late a Representative from Illinois) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Sixtieth Congress 
First and Second Sessions 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
April 19, 1908 



SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
December 15, 1908 



Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing 



WASHINGTON : : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : : 190^ 






0. Or 0. 

JUL 361909 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D -- 7 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Thistlewood, of Illinois >o 

Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois 15 

Mr. Russell, of Missouri ^o 

Mr. Chapman, of Illinois -4 

Mr. Lowden, uf Illinois -9 

Mr. Graff, of Illinois 3' 

Mr. Fuller, of Illinois 3^ 

Mr. Chaney , of Indiana 38 

Mr. De Armond, of Missouri 4t 

Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota 43 

Mr. Madden, of Illinois 4^ 

Proceedings in the Senate 5° 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 53 

Mr. Curtis, of Kansas 57 

Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois : 5^ 

3 




KOK.OZ 



Death of Hon. George W. Smith 



Proceedings in the House 

Monday, Dcccmhry 2, igo-j. 

Mr. RoDENBERO. ;Mr. Speaker, it is with a feeling of sincere 
sorrow and regret I announce to the House the death of ni\- 
colleague, the Hon. George W. Smith, which occurred at his 
home at Murphysboro late on Saturday, November 30. Mr. 
S.MITH had been a IMember of this body eighteen years, and 
was just entering upon his tenth successive term when the 
final sunmions came. At some future time I shall ask that a 
day may be fixed when tribute may be paid to the life, char- 
acter, and public services of this distinguished son of Illinois. 

I now offer the following resolutions, which I ask to have 
read: 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
of Hon. George W. Smith, a Representative from the State of IlUnois. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Members of the House, witli 
such members of the Senate as may lie joined, be appointed to attend 
the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-.-\rms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the 
provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in con- 
nection therewith lie paid out of the contingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

5 



6 Proceedings in the House 

Tlic (|ULStion was taken, and the resolutions were unani- 
mously adopted. 

The Speaker pro tempore. If there be no objection, the 
temporary occupant of the chair will announce the committee 
provided for in the resolution. The Chair hears no objection, 
and the Clerk will announce the committee. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Committee to attend jiineral of Hon. George \V. Smith, of JUinois. — Mr. 
Lorimer, Mr. Prince, Mr. Chapman, Mr. McGavin, Mr. Foster, Mr. 
McDerniDtt, Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois; Mr. Dawes, of Ohio; Mr. Chaney, 
of Indiana; Mr. Rucker, of Missouri; Mr. Russell, of Missouri; Mr. May 
nard, of Virginia; Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota; Mr. Brouss;ird, of Loui- 
siana; and Mr. Legare, of South Carolina. 

Mr. Rddexberg. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of respect 
to the memory of the late Representative vS.miTh, I move that 
the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to. 

Accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 12 minutes p. m.!, the House 
adjourned. 

TuESD.-\Y, December j, 190J. 

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Parkinson, its reading 
clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the following 
resolutions: 

Resolved, That the .Senate has heard with jirofound sorrow the an- 
nouncement of the death of Hon. George W. Smith, late a Representa- 
tive from the State of Illinois. 

AVio/ici/, That a conunittce of three Senators be appointed bv the 
Vice-President to join a committee appointed on the part of the House 
of Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives. 

Resolved, That as a furl her mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased the Senate do now adiourn. 



Proceedings in the House 7 

And that, in coinpliaiicc with the foregoing, the Vice-Presi- 
dent had appointed as said committee Mr. Hopkins, Mr. 
Hemenway, and Mr. McCreary. 

Wednesday, March 4, igo8. 

Mr. Thistlewood. Mr. vSpeaker, I ask unanimous consent 
for the present consideration of the resohition which I send to 
the Clerk's desk and ask to have read. 

The SpE.'^kER. The Clerk will report the resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives shall meet at 13 m. on 
Sunday, .\pril ly, igo8, for the purpose of having eulogies upon the hfe, 
character, and public services of the Hon. George \V. Smith, late a 
Representative in Congress from the Twenty-fifth District in Illinois. 

The SpE.MvER. Is there objection;" [After a pause.] The 
Chair hears none. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

SfND.W, April IQ, TQOS. 

The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Coi'den, D. D , offered the 
following prayer: 

O Lord, our God and our Father, who hath made us a little 
less than di\ine, and hast crowned us with glory and honor, we 
thank Thee for all the disclosures Thou hast made of Th^•self in 
the great Book of Nature, the sun which shines by dav, the 
moon and the stars which shine by night, the change of seasons, 
seedtime and harvest, and the wonderful adaptation of means 
to ends. 

Surely Thou openest Thy hand and satisfieth the desire of 
every living thing. Especially do we thank Thee for Thy Son, 
Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, through whom 
Thou hast revealed Thine own heart to the world, which palpi- 
tates with eternal love and affection for all Thy children, and 
that we can never go where Thou art not. " If I ascend up into 



8 Proceedings in the House 

Heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold 
Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell 
in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand 
lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me." 

We rejoice, O Lord our God, with all the world this day in 
the resurrection of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, which proves the 
strength and power of life over death. 

We are met here to pay a tribute of love and respect to one 
who served with distinction upon the floor of this House. We 
thank Thee for his patriotism, for his citizenship, for his public 
ser\'ice, and we most fen.-entl\- pray for all who are bound to 
him by the ties of kinship, love, and affection. Let the Ever- 
lasting Arms be about them, and especially do we prav for his 
companion who Vv-alked by his side, sharing his joys and sor- 
rows, his victories and defeats. Help her to look forward to 
the resurrection morn, which shall be for all of us, and p.-rans 
of praise we shall ever give to Thee in Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
Amen. 

Mr. I\L'\dden; assumed the chair as Speaker pro tempore. 

The Spe.\ker pro tempore. The Clerk will read the order 
under \\ hich the House is in session. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

On motion of Mr. ThlstlEwood, by unanimous consent, 
"Resolved, That the House of Representatives shall meet at i j m. 
on Sunday, April ig, 1908, for the purpose of having eulogies ujjon the 
life, character, and public services of the Hon. George W. Smith, late a 
Representative in Congress from the Twenty-fifth District in Illinois." 

Mr. TtiisTi.Ewoon. Mr. .Speaker, I have a resolution which 
I wish to submit. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

Resolved, That in pursuance of the special order heretofore adopted 
the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. George W. 
Smith, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois. 



Proceedings in the House 9 

Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of the de- 
ceased, and in recognition of his distinguished pubhc career, the House at 
the conclusion of the exercises to-day shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family 
of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 

Mr. ThistlEWOod. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of 
Members who expected to speak this afternoon, but who will be 
deprived by other engagements. I ask unanimous consent 
that those gentlemen, and any others who desire, may print 
remarks in the Record on the life, character, and public services 
of Mr Smith. 

The Spe.^ker pro tempore. If there be no objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Illinois, it will be so ordered. 

There was no objection. 



lo Memorial Addresses: George W . Smith ■ 



Memorial Addresses 



Address of Mr. TrasTLEwooD, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: On the 4th day of .Marcli last I introduced in 
this House a resolution by unanimous consent fixing the hour 
of 12 o'clock, Sunday, April 19, for the hearing of eulogies on 
tiiL- life, character, and public services of Congressman GEORGE 
\V. Smith, late a Member of this House and long an honored 
Representative of the Twenty-fifth District of Illinois. 

It is not my purpose to make any extended remarks as to 
his Congressional services here, but rather, in what I shall 
have to say, confine myself to his youthful da\-s, to his early 
struggles, and to his determination to educate himself so as to 
be fitted to meet the responsibilities of life. 

I propose to leave for you who have served with him here 
so long and who know how faithful he was to his district, 
to his State, and to his country, the opportunity of speaking 
of his splendid services as a legislator. 

The life and public service of Congressman Smith were in 
many respects remarkable. He was of humble parentage. His 
father, James Smith, came from Scotland and settled in Ohio 
at an early date. His mother's maiden name was Agnes Morton, 
and she was a native of Ohio. Congressman Smith was one of 
a family of ten children — six boys and four girls. He was bom 
in Ohio August 18, 1846. His father early emigrated to In- 
diana, and later settled in Illinois in 1851. The parents of 



Address of Mr. Tliisflewood, of Illinois 1 1 

Congressman Smith were of that hardy class of ])ionecrs who 
were the early settlers of Illinois, and who pushed forward 
before the davs of the railroads and helped to make Illinois one 
of the great States of the American Union. 

His father took up land in Wayne County, and proceeded to 
make for himself and family a home in what was then a com- 
parative wilderness. His neighbors were few and far between; 
houses were to be built; the land was to be cleared, broken, 
and inclosed. In this work all would join; w^hile the father 
would fell the trees the mother and children would gather and 
burn the brush; or, while the father would hold the jilow the 
remainder of the family would plant the crop. Thus all con- 
tributed to the wealth and maintenance of the household. 

The schools in those days in Illinois w'ere very primitive. 
The children of the Smith household attended school only for 
a short time during the winter months, being compelled to help 
the mother in the house and the father in the field during the 
spring and summer. 

Congressman Smith when a small boy was a hard worker 
and a hard student. He gave early evidence of a desire to 
educate himself. He studied and worked, and worked and 
studied. He was untiring in his efforts; all the time adding to 
his store of knowledge. 

He early learned the trade of blacksmithing, and by working 
on the farm and at his trade he was enabled to save up enough 
money to take a course in the literary department of McKendree 
College, at Lebanon, 111. Later he began reading law, and 
graduated from the law school of Bloomington, Ind., in 1870, 
and was admitted in the same year to practice in Illinois bv the 
supreme court. He located ac Murphysboro, and soon took a 
leading place as an attorney in Jackson County and in the then 
Eighteenth Congressional District. 



12 Alemoridl Addresses: George \V . Smith 

His ambition as a bov and as a man was to go to Congress, 
and when he had attained that ambition he seemed satisfied. 
In 1880 he was elected on the RepubUcan ticket as the elector 
for the Eighteenth District and cast his vote for President 
Garfield. 

In 1888 he received the RepiiV)lican nomination for Congress 
and was elected by a handsome majority, thus reaching the goal 
of his ambition, and he continuously served in Congress from 
that time until his death, being always elected by very large 
majorities. 

On December 29, 1884, Congressman Smith was married to 
Miss M. Alice Dailey, of Murphysboro, 111. Mrs. Smith had two 
brothers and one sister, all of whom, together with her parents, 
have passed away, she being the only surs^iving member of her 
immediate family; and it is particularly sad to relate that the 
next day after her husband's death her father also died, and 
both were buried on the same day, the father in Missouri, the 
husband in Illinois. 

Those of you who have scr\-ed with Congressman Smith here, 
and who know how faithful he was to every obligation imposed 
on him, are better fitted than I am to speak of his ofiicial life; 
but my long acquaintance with him in relation to the people 
whom he so efficiently served gives me an insight into his char- 
acter and enables me to speak of that close bond of friendship 
which existed at all times between him and the people of his 
district. 

I think I may say that no com])laint was too trivial for him to 
investigate, and no ktter was ever received by him that did not 
receive an answer couched in the most gracious language. Con- 
gressman S.MITH was not only strong in his party, but he had 
hosts of friends in the opposite party that voted for him as regu- 
larly as did his partv friends. 



Address of Mr. ThisUewood . of Illinois 13 

I think I may say that he had no ambition for any political 
honors outside of his Congressional district, bcins content to 
serve his constituents, and for their interest to devote all his 
time. 

A very strong bond of friendship existed between him and the 
veterans of the great war. He was their friend and {h(j\ were 
his friends. A great part of his time was devoted to aiding the 
veteran soldiers and seeing that they secured the pensions due 
them from the Government. 

Congressman Smith died November 30, 1907, at his home in 
Murphysboro, where he had resided for nearly forty years, at- 
tended by his devoted wife and surrounded by his intimate 
friends of Murphysboro and Jackson County. Besides his wife, 
he left an elder sister, Mrs. Margaret Pucket, who now lives 
near the old homestead in Wavne County. 

The people of Jackson County and of the entire district will 
miss Congressman Smith. He was charitable and benevolent, 
gentle and kind, always cheerful, always doing something to 
contribute to the happiness of others. He was a devoted hus- 
band. His honesty of i)urpose and his integrity were well 
known; his life and work, public and private, were above re- 
proach. He was successful as an attorney and gave satisfaction 
as a public servant, as attested by his being elected ten succes- 
sive terms from his district. His constituents appreciated his 
services and delighted to honor him. His disposition and eager- 
ness to ser\-e them, regardless of politics, were well known, and 
therein was much of his strength. One of his chief characteris- 
tics was his attention to the little things in life, small things 
and kindnesses, thoughtfulness of deeds in which few men in 
their busy spheres of life ever take time to think of. He was 
thoughtful, kind, loving, and gentle as a woman. Those who 
knew him well best appreciated his sterling worth. 



14 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 



When a good man dies, 
Upon whose honored name 
There rest no flaw, no blame, 
No heartless, cruel shame, 
No tarnish to his fame; 
\\'e can not count the cost, 
Nor reckon what we've lost, 
When a good man dies. 

When a good man dies, 
W'hose nobleness succeeds 
To bless the many needs 
And cheer the heart that bleeds 
With high, unselfish deeds; 
We can not count the cost. 
Nor reckon what we've lost. 
When a good man dies. 

\A'hen a good man dies, 
Whose name can proudlj' stand 
Whose memory can command 
The tribute, sweet and grand, 
An honor to the land ; 
We can not count the cost, 
Nor reckon what we've lost, 
When a good man dies. 



Address of Mr. Rodcnbog, of Illinois 



Address of Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: As a rule obituaries, eulogies, and epitaphs are 
discounted. We are too apt to employ extravagance when we 
speak or write of our friends whose passing we mourn. In what 
I have to say on this occasion of my late colleague, George W. 
Smith, I shall speak with knowledge of his private character and 
public services, based upon a close acquaintance with his career, 
and I believe that my estimate of the man will not be mixed 
with fulsome flattery or inordinate eulogy. The looms that 
construct the warp and woof of time are never idle. Their 
tireless, incessant weaving is seen in the threads and colors that 
make up our several lives, and when the light of criticism is 
turned upon them the whole world may make the final analysis, 
thus discovering the defects and the beauties of the workman- 
ship. And so in a few brief sentences I shall endeavor to 
epitomize the story of some of the characteristics of our friend's 
life as they come to me. 

George \V. Smith was a native of Putnam Count v, Ohio, 
where he was born on the iSth day of August, 1846. When he 
was 4 years old his parents moved to Illinois. There he learned 
the trade of blacksmithing, but, like Elihu Burritt, the great 
thinker and patriot, he soon broke away from the restrictions 
of the anvil and forge to make his way to the professional pur- 
suits of life. After attending the common schools he graduated 
from McKendree College in 1868. At this time he became 
ambitious to study and master the law, and following that 
inclination he was graduated at the University of Bloomington, 
Ind., 1870, being admitted to practice by the supreme court of 
Illinois the same year, after which he practiced his profession 
85410 — H.-Doc. 1545, 60-2 J 



i6 Memorial Addresses: Gcorqe W . Smith 

in his home town of Murphysboro. He was a master in the 
details of organization, and one of the keenest judges of men that 
I have ever met; therefore his way to political paths was easy 
and natural. 

In 1880, as an elector for his Congressional district, the old 
Twentieth, he cast his vote for Garfield and Arthur, and in 188S 
he was elected to a seat in this body. From the Fifty-first 
Congress until his death, which occurred at his home November 
30, 1907, he was returned at each election, thus rounding out a 
splendid service of over eighteen years. This_ long and con- 
tinuous service is in itself a magnificent tribute to the estimate 
placed upon his worth by the constituency which he served so 
faithfully and so well. To aspire to membership in the Congress 
of the United States is an honor worthy of the ambition of any 
man, but to have occupied a seat in the nation's councils for 
almost a generation is an honor never achieved by any but the 
truest, the bravest, and the best. 

Mr. Speaker, the crow^ning virtue and capstone of George W. 
Smith's character was his transparent honesty and singleness. 
He was the very soul of honor, the personification of lovalty. 
The mask of an actor never fitted him. He knew naught of 
e.xpediency, and he was never known to temporize. The 
dominant trait of his public and private life was a sincere devo- 
tion to the highest and best ideals of patriotic citizenship. In 
all the vicissitudes of his eventful career he followed ever the 
path of duty, outlined clearly and unmistakably by a conscience 
that was responsive always to the noblest impulses of true 
manhood. Men who really knew him recognized his robust 
virtues and admired tiiem. They likewise discerned his faults 
and merged them into his manly qualities, because he wore 
them both upon his breast. And thus he had grown upon his 
friends, his constituents, and his colleagues as one who miirht 



Address of Mr. Rododu^rg, of Illinois 17 

fitly use as his own the words which Homer jjuts in the mouth of 
the hero of his IHad: 

For I hate with perfect hatred, 

Hate him hke the gates of hell, 
Who within him one thought harbors 
While his lips another tell. 

Above all, beyond it all, our friend possessed the attributes 
of a man that "stood four square to all the winds that blew." 
Mr. Speaker, we glory in our material greatness, our unequaled 
empire with its 90,000,000 freemen, our growth in wealth and 
culture, the dazzling sweep of mechanical ingenuity and inven- 
tion, our beautiful cities, and our railroads and electrical 
appliances. But let us not forget to keep uppermost in our 
thoughts that, after all, the man is greater, higher than them all, 
the man is more than the great city, more than all of the com- 
bination of modern methods and conveniences of our wonderful 
twentieth century, more than the ingenuity of human thought 
and genius will ever attain. 

Our friend was a firm believer in the fatherhood of God and 
the brotherhood of man. In the daily walks of life he prac- 
ticed faith, hope, and charity, which are the divine character- 
istics of every manly heart. He was an ardent adherent to 
the beautiful teachings of Masonry, having been honored by 
that order many times. He had made the pleasant journey 
that led him through the York Rite, which is the corner stone 
and essence of all Masonry. He presided over his lodge several 
times, a record to which he pointed with much pleasure. Here 
he was taught and believed with his whole soul that the man 
who so conducts the order of his life that when the summons 
comes that beckons him over into the eternal morning, leaving 
a marked imprint for good or traits of character worthy of 
record, that man has not lived for himself alone, but that his 



i8 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 

life was worth all the tears and trouble of the living. And 
such a life may fitly be said to be like "a tree planted by the 
rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit in season, whose 
leaves shall not wither," and whom no evil can befall, whether 
it be alive or dead. 

Our departed colleague's veneration of and unmixed gratitude 
to the men who marched away during the war of the rebellion 
in defense of the flag and who kept that flag from dishonor were 
a part of his faith. He made several attempts to enter the 
army, but failed because of his immature age and by reason of 
physical infirmities. This was ever a matter of regret to him, 
but his interest in those who made it possible for this Govern- 
ment to exist was a continuing earnest one. His warm heart 
answered in generous sympathy the admiration that came from 
all over his district from soldiers, their widows and orphans. 
Patiently and consistently he contended for their rights, pressing 
with passionate interest the claims of the broken soldier and the 
debt owing to him by that nation which he ser\-ed so well. To 
him the vanishing Army of Blue was full of pathetic interest. 
He saw them marching away until the purple hills that divide 
us from the \'alley of the Shadow are crowded with those who 
became weary of the long march, at the termination of which 
they will again repeat the dear old war refrain, "We are com- 
ing, Father Abraham," as they enter the ever-swinging curtains 
of the waiting skies and meet him, the apotheosis of freedom's 
holy light, whose incomparable career has not been approached 
since the angels sang at Bethlehem and wept at Calvary's 
crime — their Lincoln, the world's Lincoln. 

In the historic little city of Murphysboro we laid our friend 
away on that gray autumn day, the season that typifies the end 
of nature's beautiful products, amid the tears of those he loved. 
The solemn scenes of that sad, sad day have left an impress on 



Address of Mr. Rodenheig, of Illinois 19 

my memory which time can uol efface. With bowed heads and 
sobbing hearts his friends and neighbors by the thousands fol- 
lowed the funeral cortege as it slowly wound its way through 
the streets of the mourning city to the little cemetery on the 
hill. There we left him to hurry out into the busy, throbbing, 
forgetful world, wondering who of us will closelv follow and 
meet him — 

Where no storms ever beat on the gUttering strands. 
And the years of eternity roll. 

Mr. Speaker, we can not force our vision through the mists 
and shadows that separate us from our dead. \\'e stand in the 
mysterious, solemn silence, and there is no sound save the quick- 
ened heart beat; but the cable of hope, of faith intertwined with 
roses, reaches "beyond the smiling and the weeping." Over it 
we may send our messages of love, and with the listening ear of 
trust that comes from the Master we can hear the response from 
across the shoreless sea, saving: 

AH is well. 



20 Memorial Addresses: Gedrqe W . Smith 



Address of Mr. Russell, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: I am informed that it is quite unusual for a 
new Member of this House to take part in memorial meetings of 
this kind, and especially where the new Member comes from a 
different State than that formerly represented by the deceased 
IMember; but when the light is shed upon our past relations, 
I hope that my remarks at this time will not be considered 
inappropriate, nor my ajjpearance an unbecoming intrusion 
on my part. 

I have known Mr. George W. Smith for many years, and 
although we lived in different States, we were in fact neighbors 
and friends, and in many respects our paths in life were similar 
and parallel. He was reared upon an Illinois farm, 1 upon a 
Missouri farm. We both entered the legal profession earlv in 
life, and for more than a quarter of a century we practiced law 
in adjoining circuits, but in different States. 

In 1880 Mr. Smith was a Presidential elector, and voted for 
Mr. Garfield, a Republican President, and in 1884, I was an 
elector and voted for Mr. Cleveland, a Democratic President. 
At the time of his death we represented in Congress adjoining 
districts, separated only b\- the Mississippi River, and while 
that great river separated ns jihysically and geographicallv, a 
common interest in its improvement and welfare served to 
draw us nearer together olTicially and as friends. 

Mr. vSmitii and I were members of the same partv of mutual 
Iriends from his district and mine, who, on board the steamboat 
Dick Fowler, accompanied President Roosevelt and his ]5artv on 
his recent trip down the Mississippi River. This great llotilla, 
consisting of seventeen boats, parading in orderlv procession 



Address of Mr. Russell, of Missouri 21 

from St. Louis to !\[emphi3, was, without question, the greatest 
and most imposing spectacle ever witnessed in the history of 
Mississippi River navigation, and emphasized to all the world 
the growing commercial importance of that mighty stream. 

The several davs that Mr. S.vimt and I were thus thrown 
together on this extended trip, with frequent opportunities 
to personally converse, enable me to know better and to appre- 
ciate more fully his true worth and the noble characteristics 
of his life. 

He was as gentle and svmpathetic as a child, and still as 
determined and steadfast in his purposes as a military chieftain. 
He was always grateful and loyal to his friends, without regard 
to their influence or station in life, and above all, his life was 
consecrated to the faithful discharge of his duties as a public 
servant. 

The welfare of his constituents was to him the supreme law 
of his official action, and it at no time suffered any infraction 
by any willful act of his. 

These, with many other good qualities, made him strong with 
the people of his district. He was, in fact, invincible to all 
opponents in his own party, and stronger than his party in the 
general elections. 

I remember quite well our last separation at Cairo, when 
he said to me that he would be very glad to meet ine in Wash- 
ington City at the opening of this Congress, and would take 
great pleasure in assisting me in any way that he could in the 
discharge of my new duties as a Member of this House. I 
thanked him then for his generous offer, and now that he is 
gone I shall gratefully remember this kindly expression of his 
friendship and esteem. 

How uncertain is life' How often it is that death intervenes 
and interferes with the calculations of men. Instead of meet- 



22 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith . 

ing him here at the opening of this session of Congress, and 
seeing his familiar face and enjoying again the friendh- grasp 
of his hand, I was on the opening day shocked by the informa- 
tion of liis death, and was at that time appointed by the vSpeaker 
of this House a member of the committee to attend his funeral 
in his home State. 

We witnessed there, at his home in Murphysboro, many and 
unmistakable evidences of the secure and warm place he held 
in the hearts of his people. The city was in mourning, all busi- 
ness was practically suspended, special trains brought hundreds 
of his friends from all parts of his district; his Masonic breth- 
ren came from all parts of the State; the streets about the 
Logan House were crowded by a sorrowing multitude, unable to 
gain admission or to hear the beautiful and touching tribute to 
his memory expressed by the Reverend Doctor Flint, an old 
boyhood friend, and Mr. Rodenberg, his close personal friend 
and former colleague in this bodv. 

The people of his home city seemed to perfectly realize the 
fact that they had in liis death not only lost their most distin- 
guished citizen, but their benefactor and friend; and their pres- 
ence, their tears, and the many floral offerings all testified to 
the sincerity of their professions and the depth of their grief. 

Our friend was laid to rest in the presence of thousands of 
his former constituents, neighbors, fraternal associates, and 
friends, by the ]\Iasonic fraternity, with their beautiful funeral 
service at the grave, which again impressed us all with the 
uncertainty of this life and of the frailties of all things mortal. 

Our Masonic brethren sometimes compare human life to the 
hourglass, and the comparison is striking and appro]iriate: 

Behold how the grains of sand contained in this machine pass away 
almost imperceptibly, and yet in one short hour they are all exhausted. 
So wastes man. To-day he jnils forth the tender buds of hope; to-morrow 



Address of My. Russell, of Missouri 23 

he blooms and hears his liomirs thick tipmi him; Ihe next dav the chilling 
frosts of death destroy all, and while he thinks his greatness is still aspiring 
he falls like autumn leaves, to enrich our mother earth. 

But we were reminded by the evergreen, deposited bj- hun- 
dreds of the fraternity in the grave with the mortal remains of 
our departed brother, that — 

There is in man an immortal spark which bears a close affinity to the 
Supreme Architect of the universe that shall never die. This enables 
all good Masons to look forward with hope and confidence to a blessed 
immortality beyond the grave, and we doubt not that on the resurrection 
morn our bodies shall rise up and become as incorruptible as the soul. 



24 Memorial Addresses: George II'. Smith 



Address of Mr. Chapman, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: Among the men who have represented the 
State of Illinois in the National Congress since its admission into 
the Union, George W. Smith was one of the few who had been 
honored by his district with a long, continued, and uninterrupted 
ser\ice. Had he lived to the expiration of the Sixtieth Con- 
gress, he would have been in continuous ser\-ice for twenty years. 
During this time the nation has made more progress in the 
family of nations than in any other corresponding period of its 
history. He was born in the State of Ohio August i8, 1846. 
When 4 years of age his father removed to Wayne Countv, 111. 
He was reared on a farm, attended the common schools, learned 
the blacksmith's trade, worked his way through McKendree Col- 
lege, at Lebanon, 111., graduating in 1S68, read law in a countrv 
lawyer's office at Fairfield, 111., in his home county, and from 
there he went to the university at Bloomington, 111., receiving 
his law degree in 1870, was admitted to practice in the same year, 
moved to ]\Iurphysboro. Jackson County, 111., and began his life 
work as a lawyer. In the active practice of his profession he . 
attained considerable distinction, and was regarded by his asso- 
ciates at the bar with that respect and confidence to which his 
legal abilities entitled him, and had he remained in the practice 
of law no doubt he would have attained a high position in the 
profession, for he was painstaking, careful, studious, and alwavs 
W'atchful of every interest of his clients, and above all, was 
regarded as thoroughly honest in everything pertaining to his 
profession. The profession of law, especially in a country town, 
naturally leads to politics, and in the case of Mr. Smith it was 
to be expected that he, sooner or later, would become a candi- 



Address of Mr. Chapman, of Illinois 25 

date for political honors, for liu had every incentive, both by 
nature and surroundings, to cause him to seek the political 
arena as a field for his future operations. 

He was a fluent talker, a splendid organizer, a clear thinker, 
a good judge of men, and had that very necessary and important 
faculty which everv successful public man must possess, of sur- 
rounding himself with loyal friends. And in addition to this, 
the county he had chosen for his residence had been the home 
of John A. Logan, who became famous during the period of the 
civil war, both as a Congressman and volunteer soldier, and 
who afterwards, as a Senator from Illinois, ser\-ed his country 
with equally as great ability in civil life as he had ser\-ed it 
in military life. Living in these surroundings, it was natural 
that a man with the abihty and standing which Mr. vSmith 
had acquired in his profession should have a desire to emulate 
the example of his distinguished neighbor and fellow-citizen. 
He was a candidate for the nomination three times on the Re- 
publican ticket for Congress before he succeeded. He was suc- 
cessful as a candidate for the nomination to the Fifty-first Con- 
gress, was elected, and was a Member continuously until his 
death. The indomitable will and persistent effort to accomplish 
his purpose when once he had made up his mind is clearly 
shown in his oyercoming the handicap of three successive de- 
feats before he attained his goal. There are but few aspirants 
in the political world who have shown sufficient courage and 
confidence in ultimate success to put forth another effort after 
meeting with so many reverses as he did before securing the 
position he sought. This phase of his character was one of the 
predominant features of his private and public life. When 
once he made up his mind that a thing was right and ought 
to be done, nothing swer\-ed him from his purpose, and his 
life's history shows that he usually accomplished all of his 
undertakings. 



26 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smilh 

I knew ^Ir. Smith jicrsonally before he came to Congress, 
and was identified with him in some of liis early political strug- 
gles. I was his constituent during fourteen years of his ser\-ice 
in Congress, and I have the privilege and the honor now of 
representing four of the counties that formerly belonged to the 
district which he represented. He was my personal friend, and 
when I was elected to the Fifty-ninth Congress, and came here 
inexperienced in the methods of procedure and unacquainted 
with the duties which I was expected to perform, it was from 
Mr. Smith, my former Congressman and friend, that I sought 
advice and information, and I owe a debt of gratitude to him 
for the many favors shown me. For he was kind and consid- 
erate and took time from his own duties to explain and show 
me how to accomplish those things which everv Representative 
must learn, either by experience or by the advice of others, and 
which he was eminently qualified to do from his long experi- 
ence and large store of information on all the subjects affect- 
ing our national life. In equipping himself for the discharge 
of his duties as Representative, Mr. Smith did not confine him- 
self alone to studying the institutions of his own countrv. He 
perhaps had traveled as extensively as any other ]klember of 
Congress. As a member of the Insular Committee he felt the 
necessity of visiting our island possessions, that he might 
acquaint himself at first hand, so that he could be better pre- 
pared to understand and legislate upon the propositions which 
are continually being presented in regard to them. In pur- 
suance of this ])lan he had visited the Philippines, Porto Rico, 
Hawaii, Alaska, and the Canal Zone, and no one of my acc|uaint- 
ance could talk more intelligently and furnish more information 
upon the practical questions arising out of our island posses- 
sions than Mr. S.mith. 

His extensive travels had given him a breadth of mind and a 
vast amount of information w hieh enabled him to grapple with 



Address of Mr. Chapman, oj Illinois 27 

and solve with ease the many problems which arc continually 
arising in our national affairs. He had no personal ]iride in 
his own o]5inions, and w^as wiling to receive advice and in- 
formation from others, but after once making up his mind he 
was firm in his convictions and steadfast in his purposes. As 
his constituent for many years and colleague during a portion 
of his Congressional career, I never knew or heard of any 
adverse criticisms from members of his own party of any of 
the nianv votes he cast upon public questions, so careful was 
he to thoroughly inform himself before casting his vote. 

As was evidenced by his long-continued service in Congress, 
he w-as held in high esteem by his constituents. But few men 
in public life were more trusted and loved by the people they 
represent than he, and in return he was a believer in the people, 
and earlv in his Congressional career there was adopted in 
his district, at his suggestion, a system of primary elections for 
the nomination which gave each member of his party an op- 
portunity to express his choice for candidates. This voluntary 
primary adopted many years ago in his district has been, with 
verv little amendment, lately enacted into a law which now 
governs the nomination for all candidates in the State of 
Ilhnois. A great manv of his constituents were soldiers of 
the civil war, and during his entire service in Congress he was 
their constant, loyal, and true friend, at all times ready and 
w-illing to render them any service possible. As the "soldiers' 
friend," he was known and honored throughout southern 
Illinois, and he richly deserved the title, for few have been the 
men who have been able to accomplish more for the soldiers 
of his district than Mr. S.MITII. In return for this service he 
was loved, honored, and trusted by the soldiers, regardless of 
politics, in his district, and this fact was strongly exemplified 
at his funeral by the long line of members of the Grand Army 
of the Republic which marched at the head of the funeral pro- 



28 Memorial Addresses: George If. Smith 

cession, following to his last resting place one who, though not 
their comrade, had earned the right to honorary burial as such 
by his unsellish efforts and untiring energy in their behalf. 

In his private life he was genial, hospitable, and generous. 
He was always ready to lend a helping hand to the unfortunate, 
and no one ever appealed to him in time of trouble who did not 
receive his advice and assistance. His heart was kind and svm- 
pathetic, and it seemed impossible for him to sav "Xo"' to any 
worthy one appealing to him in adversity. He died poor in the 
possession of the goods of this world, but rich in the esteem of 
his fellow-men, to which his high standard of living and consci- 
entious devotion to truth and justice entitled him. His word 
was his bond and was so taken and accepted both in his polit- 
ical life and in his dealings with his fellow-man. I was a mem- 
ber of the committee of the House that attended his burial at 
his home in Murphysboro, 111. A profound sorrow was over the 
little city. The business houses were closed out of respect for 
the occasion, and a large number of his constituents, friends, 
and neighbors gathered to pay a last sad tribute to his mortal 
remains. From every count\' in his district came large delega- 
tions, all of them his personal friends and knew him well, to 
show the high esteem in which he was held bv all of his constit- 
uents. He was buried under the auspices of the Masonic fra- 
ternity, of whicli he had been a flevoted and honored member 
for many years, and the large number of his brethren of this 
order which gathered to pay the last sad rites to his memorv at- 
tested the high standing in which he was held by the fraternity. 
May his memory ever be fresh in the affections of his friends 
and of the people who honored anil loved him as their Repre- 
sentative and whom he served and loved so well. 



Address of Mr. Louden, oj Illinois 29 



Address of Mr. Lowden, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: Again we are met to pay our tribute of affec- 
tion and respect to a departed friend. 

When we separated last spring, George W. Smith had as good 
a right to expect many years of useful life as any of us who are 
here to-day. But suddenly Death met him face to face, and 
he went out from our midst, leaving many heavy hearts. I 
knew him w-ell and loved him much. 

The district he represented was the old Logan district. It 
was from this district that John A. Logan enlisted in the war 
with Mexico. It was from this district that Colonel Logan, re- 
signing his seat in Congress, set out in the early days of the 
civil war on that career which was to lead him to immortal 
fame as the most illustrious citizen-soldier of the century. 
Under the tutelage of that great man George \V. Smith re- 
ceived his first lessons in politics. It was to be expected, then, 
that fidelity in all relations should be, as it was, a distinguish- 
ing quality of his life. 

Southern IlUnois is remarkable in this, that more than any- 
where else, so far as I know, the Puritan of New England and 
the cavalier of the South met face to face, and in the rivalry 
between them only the best cjualities of each survived. 

The virtues of the North and the virtues of the South, min- 
gling, produced a well-nigh perfect type of man. This people 
is patriotic in the extreme, but always sane. They are brave, 
but modest. They are hearty, but unaffected. They are hos- 
pitable, but simple. They are shrewd, but fair. If you would 
win their affections, you must first gain their respect. A more 



30 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 

interesting people can nowhere be found. And when vou have 
once visited southern lUinois you will not be content until vou 
return. And when you have gone back you will feel at home. 

Modest beyond most, it was given only to the family and 
closest friends of George \V. Smith to know his manly worth. 
But he who once was fortunate enough to gain his friendship 
could count on him in all times, whether of good report or bad 
report. Warm-hearted and loyal, like the great constituency- 
he represented here so faithfully and well for a generation, he 
will be greatly missed in this House and in Illinois. 

And what words of sympathy may we speak to the devoted 
wife, who mourns him most of all? I know that I utter the 
sentiment of all his friends here and his friends at home when 
I say that she has been much in our thoughts since the separa- 
tion came. \A'e know that any spoken words of ours can not 
assuage her grief, and that only from on high can comfort 
•come to her wounded heart. 'Slay the Father of us all be very 
tender to the sorrowing companion of his earthly davs. Mav 
she find peace in the glorious hope of a reunion beyond the 
grave. 

Not affecting brilliancy of speech, but reiving upon industry 
and good common sense. Representative Smith ser\-ed his 
people and his country well. 

I have been many times in his district. He had an affection- 
ate hold upon his constituents which nothing could shake loose. 
He trusted them and they believed in him. When the hour 
struck and he passed from mortal sight, the people of southern 
Illinois mourned the loss not only of their distinguished Rep- 
resentative, but of their friend as well. 



Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 31 



Address of Mr. Graft, of Illinois 

Mr. vSpEaker: My late colleague, Hon. George \V. Smith, 
who passed away at his home in Murphysboro, 111., in the first 
days of the present session of this Congress, preceded me as a 
Member of this body by three Congresses, being first elected 
in 1888 to the Fifty-first Congress, making ten successive 
Congresses to which he had been elected from southern Illinois. 

I knew him well and met him almost daily during the last 
twelve years when this House was in session. Among the 391 
Representatives here there remain but 6 who equal or exceed 
in terms of service that of my lamented colleague. They are 
Speaker Cannon, from my own State, with seventeen terms; 
Representative Bingham, of Pennsylvania, fifteen terms; Rep- 
resentative Payne, of New York, twelve terms; Representative 
Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, eleven terms; Representative Hep- 
burn, of Iowa, eleven terms; and Representative Sherman, of 
New York, ten terms. For a period of twenty years he sur\-ived 
the mutations of politics, the rivalries of political associates, 
factional strife, the unavoidable disappointment of followers, 
as well as the attack of the opposing party. All this is neces- 
sarily involved in such a long and uninterrupted legislative 
career. The Representative in Congress is the onlv national 
official chosen directly by the people. His constituencv is not 
too large to come in personal contact with him and to form an 
independent individual estimate of his character and abilitv. 

His brief term of two years brings him back tjuickly to learn 
the people's latest mandate, their opinions, the objects of their 
present thought, their problems, and their difficulties. Custom 
85410— H. Doc. 1545, 60-j 3 



32 Memorial Addresses: George IV. Smith 

has added to his legislative duties that of being the people's 
agent with reference to their individual matters with the Gov- 
ernment, thus bringing him into daily contact with them in 
even their private affairs. Mr. Smith had passed the stage of 
accidental preferment. He had withstood the eliminating and 
inexorable test of time, with all the trials common to such an 
experience. That he surmounted these ditTicultics through the 
years is of deep significance when we remember that this affirm- 
ative answer comes from an intelligent constituency of almost 
200,000 people. 

For eighteen years prior to his first election to Congress the 
people of his section knew Mr. Smith as a lawyer at Murphvs- 
boro, and had nominated and elected him in 1880 as a Repub- 
lican Presidential elector. They knew him intimately and well 
and had the very best opportunity to measure the elements 
of his character and abilitv. Therefore their persistent sup- 
port of and loyalty to him through a fifth of a century is a 
higher tribute to his character and noble qualities of mind and 
heart than the most eloquent panegyric that could be uttered 
here by his friends and colleagues. 

Mr. Smith ser\-ed at various times during his sen.-ice here 
upon the following committees: Claims, War Claims, Militia, 
the Post-OfTice and Post-Roads, and Insular .\ffairs, and was for 
many years the chairman of the Committee on Private Land 
Claims. He devoted himself very industriouslv to the work 
upon his committees, where, as we all know, most of the real 
work of this House is done. Being for many vears on the sub- 
committee of the Committee on the Post-Oflice and Post- 
Roads, which framed the post-office appropriation bills, he had 
to do with the appropriation made for the trial of rural free 
delivery, and he took a just pride in being one of the earliest 
supporters of this service while it was yet in its experimental 



Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 33 

stage. He was also an earnest advocate of penny postage, and 
first introduced a bill for that purpose in 1902 and continued 
to introduce the same measure each Congress until his death, 
presenting from time to time numerous petitions from over 
the country in behalf of that movement. While on this com- 
mittee he visited Austraha and contributed on his return to the 
bringing about of the parcels-post convention between the 
United States and Australia. 

While upon the Committee on Insular Affairs, his last impor- 
tant committee, he felt it his duty to make a trip to the Philip- 
pines and Porto Rico that he might be better equipped for his 
duties in that behalf. 

Mr. Smith also visited Cuba, the Isthmus of Panama since 
our operations in the construction of the canal, Alaska, and 
almost every part of the mainland of the United States. He also 
broadened his obsen,'ations of the world by a trip to Europe, 
and endeavored to prepare himself as best he could for the work 
which devolved upon him as a Representative of the people. 
Upon his election to Congress he gave up the practice of his pro- 
fession of the law and devoted himself entirely to his official 
duties. He secured three appropriations at different times for 
the national cemetery at Mound City, in his district, and through 
his efforts had allotted from time to time, out of the general 
appropriation for the Mississipjii River, an aggregate of at least 
a half million dollars for the carrying out of projects along that 
portion of the river within the boundaries of his district, where 
they were properly needed. 

He was an earnest advocate of the popular primary system, 
and was three times nominated by a primary called by the Con- 
gressional committee of his district before any primary law had 
been passed by the State of Illinois. Mr. Smith was only 15 
years old when the civil war began; nevertheless he offered him- 



34 Memorial Addresses: George 11'. Sjiiitit 

self as a volunteer soldier before that contest closed, but was 
rejected because of his then physical condition. He took great 
interest in the Federal soldiers and their widows when their 
claims were pending in the Pension Bureau or before Congress 
in the shape of legislation, and in his district I am sure that 
they will remember his helpfulness for many a year vet to come. 

He loved his country and was proud of its history and con- 
fident of its glorious and successful future. Our colleague was 
a warm-hearted, loyal, manly man, and had no associate on 
the Illinois delegation who was not his friend and wellwisher. 
Rancor, jealousy, meanness seemed to have no place in his 
soul. He speedily forgot a slight or injury, but ever remem- 
bered a friendly obligation. His honest \- and sincerity were 
both unquestioned. His home life was congenial and delight- 
ful; but whether at home or elsewhere, his kindlv spirit was 
always manifest, leaving in companionship never an impression 
that rankled, never a cut that hurt. At home this broad and 
generous bearing must have disarmed and conquered manv an 
enmity and won many a fast friend and adherent. The people 
adhered to him and were drawn by him. Were thev mistaken i" 
I am sure they were not, for they knew him and correctlv 
interpreted his character and life. 

This modest colleague has jiassed away. He was not given 
to heralding his own accomplishments, either here or at home; 
much less was he accustomed to enlarging upon them. But 
now that he has gone, it has seemed to me that he would 
prefer a truthful narration of his faithful work and efforts 
for his home community and his nation to stilted phrase and 
fulsome laudation 

In the midst of the activit\' of his career he immediately 
ste[)ped from this life into the beyond. While we regret his 
dejiarture, yet, for the consolation of his faithful wife and 



Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 35 

friends, was he not fortunate in not being compelled to linger 
just outside the portals, through protracted and weary months 
of pain and helplessness, a prisoner to disease, craving death 
to free him? God only knows, but since Providence had deter- 
mined that his earthly work had ceased and the time of his 
departure was at hand, I i)refer to believe that an infinite 
and divine love summoned his spirit thence without a proba- 
tionary period of pain. 



36 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 



Address of Mr. Fuller, of Llinois 

Mr. Speaker: I wish to pay my tribute of respect and esteem 
to and of affection for my late colleague, George W. Smith. 
If these ser\'ices were to be held in his liome district in Illinois, 
there would be no building large enough to accommodate his 
friends who would desire to be present. A man is best known 
at home. I am not one of those who believe that the prophet 
is not without honor save in his own land. At his own home 
and among his own neighbors he is best known. There, if he 
is worthy, he is appreciated at his full worth, and there George 
W. Smith was best known and most appreciated. For the 
people of his district he labored in season and out of season. 
He loved his home and appreciated his home people, and his 
strength and his political prestige were based on the fact that 
he was always for his home people and for their interests. No 
Congressman who ever held a seat on this floor was more faith- 
ful to or more diligent in looking after the wants and the 
interests of the people of his district than George W. Smith. 

Green be the turf above thee. 

Friend of my better days; 
None know thee but to love thee, 

None named thee but to praise. 

The people of his district will miss him, and as the vears go 
by will know that in him they have lost a true and devoted 
friend. ( )f him they will say: 

While memory bids me weep thee, 
Nor thoughts nor words are free. 
The grief is fixed too deeply 
That mourns a man like thee. 



Address of Mr. Fuller, oj llli)wis 37 

I have been profoimclly impressed with the great number of 
our colleagues here who have been called from life during 
our term of service. We are reminded, oh, so often, that 
neither great nor small can avoid the call of the grim monster, 
Death. Our fathers met him and were vanquished. We 
shall each in our turn meet him and pass on; to a better or 
worse condition we know not. We must all cross the deep, 
dark river; how soon, we know not. What is on the other side 
we do not know. We can only hope that life is eternal and 
that over there somewhere we shall meet the friends gone 
before us. 

The thoughts we are thinking our fathers did think; 
From the death we are shrinking our fathers did shrink; 
To the Ufe we are chnging our fathers did ding, 
But it speeds from us all like the bird on the wing. 

We bid our friend farewell. We shall see him no more. 

We pass; the path that each man trod 
Is dim, or will be dim, with weeds; 
What fame is left for human deeds 
In endless age? It rests with God. 



38 Memorial Addresses: George W . Smith 



Address of Mr. Chaney, of Indiana 

Mr. Speaker — 

I have seen man in the pride of his strength. He walked, he leaped, 
he ran, he rejoiced in that he was more excellent than the rose, .\gain 
I have seen him, and behold, life hath departed from him and the breath 
from out of his nostrils. 

A\'e all realize the fact that death is in the world, but what 
a gracious thing it is to know that men are remembered for 
what they have done. In the last week or two in this House 
we liave supposed that there is not room enough on the earth 
for all of us, if we were to accept the appearances, but when 
there comes a time to us all, which must come to evervone, 
whatever may be our political belief and whatever may have 
been our political contest, whatever may be the religious belief 
which we hold, we. after all, come together, American citizens, 
bone of one bone and flesh of one flesh, recognizing the eternal 
mandate that, after all, we are brethren and that we appreciate 
each other. 

Times have changed very greatly in the years in which we 
have had our experiences. We live in a day of enlightened 
religion. Hell is not as large as it used to be. Seventy-five 
vears or so ago it was decidedly the largest section of the uni- 
verse. Evervbodv went there except our own set. Xow very 
few are going. The soldiers of truth have come home from the 
wars covered o'er with the smoke and dust of battle, but thev 
are marching beneath arches of flowers erected l)y loving and 
svmpathetic hands. I have an abiding faith in the immortality 
of the soul. I belie\e that this earth is only the nursery from 
which there is to be transplanted the trees which are to blossom 



Address of Mr. Chaney, of Indiana 39 

and bear their fruit in another world. I hcHeve, therefore, 
that tlie work that we may do here is worthy of appreciation 
by everyone, and that each one as he passes hence is entitled to 
that respectful consideration and that grateful word of remem- 
brance to which all men, honored for the work they have 
done here, are entitled. Indiana and Illinois are very closely 
related in a business way as well as by geographical boundaries. 
The citizens of Illinois are very closely related to those of 
Indiana. Indiana is able to appreciate the greatness of that 
threat State. Indiana had a hand in the education of George 
W. Smith. He graduated in the law department of the Indiana 
Universitv. Above all, however, he was an American citizen 
who believed in his country, believed in his fellow-men. He 
ser\'ed his people well at home and he served his people well 
here. It is a splendid thing, indeed, to know that those who 
are most intimately acriuainted with him, who associated with 
him almost daily through his life, can speak the words of praise 
that they do, and speak them with a heartfelt appreciation of 
what he was. I was one of the committee which went out to 
his funeral, and my heart was filled with gratitude indeed to see 
that large assemblage of people in his home city, to see them 
tenderly cover his coffin with flowers and as tenderly go out 
to the city of the dead. 

He was our fellow-citizen, he was an Illinoisian, but he was an 
American. State lines do not encompass the privileges of men 
in the United States. I glory in the fact that in this land of 
liberty one man is only better than another if he behaves him- 
self better. I am glad to know that that was the guiding star 
of George W. Smith. He appreciated his opportunities, he 
embraced his responsibilities, he acted up to the dignity of 
American civilization, and went out of life to meet his God, 
having sen>-ed his country well. It is not for us to judge faults 
of men, for if the faults of human kind were all unpardonable 



40 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 

sins there would be no hereafter, but on this resurrection day, 
under this beautiful sky with this bright sun, we can appre- 
ciate that it is not only an appropriate day to pronounce a 
eulogy on a well-spent life, but it is also an appropriate day to 
look forward to that immortaUty which is given to all those who 
remember the Creator of the Universe. 



Address of Mr. De Annond, of Missouri 41 



Address of Mr. De Armond, of Missouri 

"Sir. Speaker: George W. Smith sened long and creditably 
in this House. His people commissioned him for still longer 
service. Death and not his constituents terminated his career. 
He retained the confidence of his people to the end. They 
knew him well, and he could not so long and so firmly hold 
their respect and esteem except upon merit. Their steadfast 
support is strongest evidence of his worth. 

Life has its own unobtrusive reciprocity. The people sus- 
tained Representative Smith, and Representative Smith strove 
manfully to ser\e them, not only officiall>'. but also personally. 
He never tired of the labor of love — and such it surely was in 
his case — performed throughout his entire career, in doing for 
his constituents collectively and for thousands of them indi- 
vidually whatever their wants suggested and his ability with 
his opportunities could accomplish. 

His admiration for and pride in the people who honored him 
and whom he served was very great. His people were ever 
uppermost in his mind. He was a diligent and faithful repre- 
sentative of a great constituency, and those whom he ser\'ed 
stood manfully between him and political danger. 

Faithfulness to the people who put us in high places surelv is 
admirable, and thus faithful was our friend. The Congressman 
who sen.-es well his immediate constituency almost always 
ser^-es his country well. On the other hand, the Member who 
ser\-es special interests is a bad representative of any American 
constituency, as well as a bad lawmaker for the Republic. A 



42 Memorial Addresses: George 11'. Smith 

special interest is none the less a special interest because located 
in one's own district, and its servant in the Congress of our 
country is none the less an enemy of good government because 
his home and the home of his master are in the same cit}' or 
county. To the honor of George \\'. S.mith it can be truth- 
fully said that the people — the many and not the few — 
appealed to his sense of justice and of gratitude, and to them 
his services were gladly given. 

It is no secret among the friends of Mr. Smith that he was 
not entirely satisfied with his treatment in late years in the 
make-up of committees. But if he was proud and felt keenly 
the sting of what he esteemed a wrong suffered in the house- 
hold of political friends, he was also sensitive, and pride and 
sensitiveness combined to make him silent. 

He was a good friend and a manly antagonist. He was 
every man's friend, and the enemy of no one. He was too 
kindly in disposition and too broad to harbor hatred or ill will. 
He was a true man. So let his faults rest in the grave with his 
body, while we cherish the memory of his many good traits 
and good deeds. 



Address of Mr. Stcciicrso)i, oj Minnesota 43 



Address of Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota 

]\Ir. Speakhr; We have met to-day to pay fitting tribute to 
the character and public services of a distinguished jNIember of 
this House and a faithful servant to the peojile. I first met 
Mr. Smith at the beginning of the Fifty-eighth Congress, where 
we happened to be both assigned to the same committee, the 
Committee on the Militia. Soon after a vacancy occurred in 
the chairmanship, and Mr. Smith, who ranked me, very promptly 
sent word that, having another chairmanship, he did not desire 
the place, but advised me to assert m>- claim as the next one 
in order. Being a new Member I did not get the [ilace at that 
time, but I always felt grateful to Mr. Smith for his kindness 
and consideration in the matter. When Congress adjourned 
for the holidays in December, 1906, we both joined a partv of 
Congressmen for a trip to Panama, and on this delightful trip 
of three weeks we were together a great deal, both on shipboard 
and ashore, and I found him a most delightful companion. 
He had been reared on the frontier and seen his own immediate 
neighborhood advance from a wilderness to one of the richest 
and most prosperous agricultural sections of the whole country. 
He knew the hardships and sacrifices of pioneer life, and his 
sympathy with the people was natural and genuine. He was 
not only a well-read man generally, but had traveled extensively 
in his own country as well as nearly every country on the globe. 
He was a close observer and an independent and original thinker. 
He had studied social and political questions abroad, and no 
doubt to this fact was largely due his constant interest in the 
extension and betterment of the mail service in our own country. 



44 Memorial Addresses: George IT. Smith 

To hear liim tell of his travels and obsen-ations was not only 

a continuous source of information, but a delight. 

Of him it might be truly said: 

He foreign countries knew; but they were known 
Not for themselves, but to advance his own. 

Mr. Smith was first elected to Congress in i8S8, and was suc- 
cessi\ely reelected nine times. He served in the Fiftv-first and 
Fifty-second Congresses on the Committees on Territories and 
Claims, and in the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses he 
was chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims. His 
most important service, however, was on the Committee on the 
Post-Office and Post-Roads, of which he was an active and in- 
fluential member for ten years, from 1893 to 1903. He was 
one of the originators of the rural free-deHverv service, in which 
fact he always took a just pride. His last speech on the floor 
of the House, February 19, 1907, was devoted to this subject, 
and he re\iewed the origin and growth of the rural free-delivery 
service from the beginning and its beneficent influence upon the 
people. 

The .State of Illinois has in the past furnished more than its 

share of great names to illuminate the pages of our country's 

history. Illinois is still furnishing at least her share of the 

illustrious statesmen who are now in the present guiding our 

Ship of State, and in such a galaxy it is ditficult to shine; but 

though the services of these may be more conspicuous they 

could not excel in high conception of honor and tidelitv to duty 

the more humble career of our departed and honored friend. 

Honor and shame from no condition rise; 
Act well your part, there all the honor lies. 

That the peojjle whom lie had so long and faithftillv served 

appreciated him and loved him was most pathetically shown by 

the large outpouring of the people and universal evidences of 

grief on the occasion of his funeral at his old home. 



Address of My. Siccnerson, of Minnesota 45 

He died in the fullness of his prime, and in his death the people 
lost a faithful friend and wise legislator. He has gone to — 

The undiscovered country, from whose bourn 
No traveler returns — 

And whose secrets we may not know, except by faith in love 
divine; but this we know, that earth has received into its final 
embrace few men more beloved than was GEORGE W. Smith. 



46 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 



Address of Mr. Madden, of Ilunois 

Mr. Speaker: Of the public characteristics of our lamented 
colleague and of his legislative achievements other Members 
have spoken in high praise. It was not my privilege to ser\-e 
long with him in this honored body, and I had therefore no per- 
sonal opportunity to study from close range his public under- 
takings. I did enjoy, though, a very close personal acquaint- 
ance with him, and it is a sincere satisfaction to me to be able to 
say. in paying tribute to his memory, that he was one of the 
most lovable gentlemen that I have ever known. I can liear 
testimony to his high personal character and to his warm- 
hearted manliness. He never failed when opportunity offered 
to do for a friend some needed kindness, and he was alwavs 
ready to fight with all his might for any cause in which he 
enlisted. 

Of his many virtues honesty and truthfulness were the most 
pronounced, and it was these sterling qualities which won for 
him the respect and the esteem of his friends and acquaintances. 

It was not necessary for him to set up proof in substantia- 
tion of his positive assertions. His word was as good as his 
bond, and when he declared to one who knew him as I did that 
he would do thus or so, it was all but done. 

Like most other men. he had some minor faults, but they 
were not grievous ones. 

Best men ;ire burn nf faults and are better it is said for having been a 
little bad. 

vSo spoke the great Shakespeare, and in those words I believe 
he told a great truth. I have never known a so-called "fault- 



Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 47 

less man" to do for himself, his friends, or his countrv any 
real good, but the faults of our lamented friend were, when 
compared with his many virtues and graces, rendered nugatory 
if not entirely undiscemible. 

George W. Smith, like most men who come to Congress, and 
who amount to anything after they come here, learned earlv in 
life that the pathway to success is not strewn with roses. His 
struggle for an education was severe. He made many sacri- 
fices that he might attain success, but he did succeed. 1 am 
told that his clear understanding of the principles of jurispru- 
dence, his ready wit, and his forceful, though generous and 
magnanimous, character, made him a formidable competitor of 
the most distinguished members of the bar in his section of the 
State from which so many illustrious men have come. 

For eighteen years Mr. Smith was an honored and useful 
^lember of this body. He was not a great orator, nor did he 
grapple with the weightier matters of state. He was, however, 
an indefatigable worker, and by hard study and close applica- 
tion he acquired a fund of information which enabled him 
intelligentl}- to examine into and understand the many com- 
phcated questions which a Member of Congress is required to 
pass upon in order that by his action and his aid the interests 
of his constituents and his country may best be conser\'ed. 

By the death of our beloved colleague the old soldiers of 
his district sustain a loss that can only be expressed in tears. 
To their cause he was more devoted than he was to his own 
interests. 

There never was a time in his public career when he would 
not have sacrificed his last dollar or exerted his greatest efforts 
to do for some needy soldier an act of kindness, but while he 
was partial to the old soldier, and while it always seemed easier 
for him to come to their assistance than to do aught else, his 
85410 — H. Due. 1545, 6f)— 2 4 



48 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 

great, good heart would not permit him to refuse aid to any 
worthy person who, coming with honest purpose, applied to 
him for help. 

It is eas}' to understand how a man endowed with great 
goodness of heart, as was our friend to whose memory we now 
pay tribute, could find such delight in promoting and elevating 
the happiness of his fellow-man. He could not by selfish- 
ness seek to promote his own interests at the expense of the 
welfare or the happiness of others, for of selfishness he had 
none. 

It is still easier to understand how men will love, admire, 
and give themselves to one thus great and good. Men alwavs 
have and always will lavish their affection and give their earn- 
est support to leaders possessing lofty ideals, warm sentiments, 
and noble hearts, and the success of our friend in all of his 
political contests shows conclusively that he possessed all of 
these attributes. 

The service he rendered to his constituents made everv one 
of them his debtor, and here in this Chamber, the scene of most 
of his public labors, it is peculiarly becoming that we, his 
colleagues, should pa\' tribute to his memory. 

The Spe.vker pro tempore. This closes the exercises, and, 
in accordance with the resolution previously adopted, I no\\- 
declare the House adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow. 

Accordingly (at i o'clock and 33 minutes p. m.) the Hou^e 
adjourned. 

WEnXESDAV, I)ECEMHER l6. 1 90S. 

The message announi-ed that the Senate had j)assed the 
following resolution: 

l\esohcJ, rii.il llie Senate exjircsscs its siirriiw on account of the dealh 
of Hon. Oi;()kc;ic W. Smitit, lale a Member of tlie House of Re])resentatives 
from the State of Illinois. 



Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 49 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate lie suspended in order that 
fitting tribute be paid to his memory. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a cojjy of these resoUitions 
to the House of Representatives and to the widow and family of tlic 
deceased. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 



50 Proceedings in the Senate 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 

Tuesday, December j, igoj. 

A message from the House of Representatives communicated 
to the Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Georgr W. 
Smith, late a Representative from the State of Illinois, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

The message also announced that the vSpeaker had appointed 
Mr. I.orimer, Mr. Prince, Mr. Chapman, Mr. McGavin, Mr. 
Foster, Mr. McDermott, and Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois; Mr. 
Dawes, of Ohio; Mr. Chaney, of Indiana; Mr. Rucker and Mr. 
Russell, of Missouri; Mr. Maynard, of X'irginia; Mr. Steener- 
son, of Minnesota; !Mr. Broussard, of Louisiana; and Mr. I.egare, 
of South Carolina, members of the committee on the part of 
the House to attend the funeral of the deceased. 

Mr. CuLi.OM. I\Ir. President. I ask that the resolutions from 
the House of Representatives in reference to the death of my 
late colleague in the House. Hon. (jEORge W. Smith, mav be laid 
before the Senate. 

The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the vSenate reso- 
lutions from the House of Representatives, which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

I\ THE House op Representatives, 

December 2, /907. 

Resolved, That tlie House lias lieani witli profound .sorrow of the death 
of Hon. George \V. Smith, a Representative from the State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Meml)ers of the House, with such 
members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 
funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-.\rms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provi- 



Proceedings in the Senate 51 

sions of these resolutions, and that the necessary exjienses in connection 
therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. CUI.I.OM. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which I 
send to the desk and ask unanimous consent for their immedi- 
ate consideration. 

The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Sen- 
ator from Illinois will be read by the vSecretary. 

The resolutions were read, considered by unanimous consent, 
and unanimously agreed to, as follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
ment of the death of the Hon. George W. Smith, late a Representative 
frorn the State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That a committee of three Senators be appointed by the Vice- 
President to join the committee appointed on the part of the House of 
Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives. 

The Vice-President. The Chair appoints as members of the 
committee on the part of the Senate, under the second resolu- 
tion just adopted, the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Hopkin.s], the 
Senator from Indiana [Mr. Hemenway], and the Senator from 
Kentucky [Mr. McCrearv]. 

Mr. CuLLOM. As a further mark of respect to the memory of 
my late colleague, I move that the vSenate adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; and (at 2 o'clock and 33 minutes 
p. m.'i the .Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Wednesday, De- 
cember 4, 1907, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Thursday, May 28, igo8. 
Mr. CuLLOM. j\Ir. President, I desire to give notice that on 
December 15, 1908, my colleague and I will present for consid- 
eration resolutions conunemorative of the life and character of 



52 Proceedings in the Senate 

the Hon. Geokcie W. Smith, late a Member of the House of 
Representatives from the State of Illinois. 

Tuesday, December J5, jgoS. 

Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I ask that the resohitions of the 
House of Representatives on the death of the Hon. Georce W. 
Smith be laid before the Senate. 

The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate the 
resolutions of the House of Representatives, which will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the House of Represent.\tives, 

April K), igoS. 

Resolved, That in pursuance of the special order lieretofore adopted, 
the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. George W. 
Smith, late a Member of this House from tlie State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That as a sjjecial mark of respect to the memory of the deceased 
and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House at the 
conclusion of the exercises to-day shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family 
of the deceased. 

Mr. CrivLOM. Mr. President, I offer the following resolutions. 
The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Sen 
ator from Illinois will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

Resolved, That the Senate expresses its sorrow on account of the death 
of Hon. George \V. Smith, late a Memljer of the House of Representatives 
from the State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That the business of the Senate lie sus|)ended in order that 
fitting tribute be paid to his memory. 

Resolved, That the Secretary comnmnieate a copy of these resolutions 
to tlie I louse of Representatives and to the widow and family of the deceased 



Address of Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 53 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
Address of Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 

Mr. President: I ask the attention of the Senate while I 
submit some remarks appropriate to the occasion, suggested by 
the resokitions just read. 

We are called upon, according to the usual custom in the Sen- 
ate, to pav our tribute of respect to the memory of a deceased 
colleague of the other House, George W. Smith, late a Repre- 
sentative in Congress from the State of Illinois. 

The death roll in Congress during the past few years has been 
unusually large, and we are again reminded that — 
In the midst of life we are in death. 

George W. Smith was born in Putnam County, Ohio, on 
August 18, 1846. When but a child he came with his parents to 
Illinois and settled on a farm in Wayne County, in the south- 
ern portion of the State. His early life was the ordinary hard 
life of a farm boy whose parents were in the most moderate 
circumstances. 

In his early years he learned the trade of a blacksmith, and 
at the same time attended the common country school. Being 
ambitious to advance to the higher walks of life, and realizing 
early the value of education, on his own initiative he commenced 
his studies in the literary department of McKendrie College at 
Lebanon, 111., from which he graduated in 1S6S. Determining 
to have a profession, to rise above his humble trade as a black- 
smith, he took to the law, and entered the law department of 
the university at Bloomington, one of the earliest and best law- 
institutions in the State, from which he was graduated with 



54 Memorial Addresses: George ]V . Smith 

honors in 1870 and was admitted to the bar durint; that year. 
Like the majority of the young lawyers in that portion of the 
State, he early took an interest in politics, and was a presiden- 
tial elector and voted for Garfield in 1880. He was alwavs an 
uncompromising Republican, and was ready at all times to 
defend and fight for his party, its principles, and policies. For 
years he devoted close attention to the practice of the law, and 
as a lawyer possessed far more than ordinary ability, and when 
elected to Congress his firm enjoyed one of the largest law prac- 
tices in that portion of Illinois. 

George W. Smith sen.^ed in Congress continually from March 
4, 1889, until his death, having been elected to the Fifty-first 
Congress, and reelected to the Fifty-second, Fiftv-lhird, Fifty- 
fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty- 
ninth, and Sixtieth, and had he lived he could have continued 
to represent his district as long as he wished to sen.'e. His 
district was an interesting one. It was the district so long 
the home of that foremost volunteer soldier and officer of the 
civil war — Gen. John A. Logan, than whom there was no braver 
and better soldier, and himself a politician of no mean order. 
The Logan district, the district represented by Mr. Smith for 
so many years, I suppose contains more ambitious politicians 
than any district in the State. That he was able to retain his 
place in Congress for so many years proves that he was a shrewd, 
astute i^olitician. I regarded him as one of the shrewdest 
politicians in that portion of Illinois. He was a great judge 
of men and was rarely mistaken in his friends. He had a 
splendid organization, composed of the best men and politi- 
cians in the district, and although he had a sharp contest 
every time he came up for reelection no one was ever successful 
in defeating him. He had been unusually successful in his 
district in securing the nomination from term to term, and 
ambitious men desirous to represent the district in Congress 



Address of Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 55 

had become disinclined to becomu candidates of late years, 
feeling that Mr. Smith could and would defeat any man who 
should become a candidate. As the years went by he seemed 
to grow stronger among the people of his district, and he was 
devoted to their interests, never tiring, always ready to respond 
to the call of a constituent, and the calls were many and fre- 
quent, that portion of the vState being filled with the gallant 
sur\-ivors of the civil war. 

The old soldiers who fought for the country and the flag 
know and appreciate the men who most sympathize with them, 
and veterans in his district never failed to manifest their appre- 
ciation of Mr. Smith's friendship for them. 

Under our constitutional form of government, the Senators 
and Representatives bring from their several States and dis- 
tricts the sentiments and desires of the people they represent 
touching national affairs and legislation, and by so doing a con- 
sensus of public opinion of every section is voiced in our legis- 
lative action as nearly as may be, and this is more true in the 
House, whose Members come closer to and represent the people 
directly, than it is in the Senate, representing, as we do, the 
sovereign States. In his legislative action Mr. Smith always 
sought to represent as nearly as he could the views of his people, 
and this made him strong at home. In a popular form of 
government such as ours, it is the duty of Representatives and 
Senators to represent and carry out the wishes of the people, so 
far as the Constitution will permit. Mr. Smith's service in 
Congress was at a time when the country had just passed 
through a great civil war, when only earnest and determined 
men were most active in political affairs. 

George W. Smith was my warm, personal friend for many 
years, and I am indebted to him for years of loyal and active 
support. He was a man of much power when aroused, and 
demonstrated his power when goaded and pressed hard by his 



56 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 

enemies. He was true to his friends, honest and generous in 
liis sentiments, sincere in his convictions, and strong in his 
adherence to what he beheved to be right. 

On the 30th of November, 1907, after a brief illness, attended 
by a beloved wife and surrounded by devoted friends, he passed 
away at his old home in Murphysboro. His labors, struggles, 
and conflicts ended; his work was done; he had finished his 
course. 



Address of Mr. Curtis, of Kansas 57 



Address of Mr. Curtis, of Kansas 

Mr. President: I desire to add a word or two as a tribute 
to the memory of George W. Smith. I knew him well, not 
only having served with him from the Fifty-third to Fifty- 
ninth Congress, inclusive, but a few years ago made a trip to 
the Philippines with a party of which he and his good wife 
were also members, and on this trip I became intimately ac- 
quainted with him and learned of his many good qualities. 

He was a successful man on the farm, in the blacksmith shop, 
in the legal profession, and he was a faithful, hardworking, 
and successful Member of the House of Representatives. That 
his people had faith in him is evidenced by the fact that they 
kept him in Congress for nearly twenty years, and had he lived, 
he no doubt would have continued to represent them for many 
more years. He was well equipped for the service in the House; 
he knew his district well; he loved the people who had honored 
him, and was ever ready to aid and assist them. He served 
in the House long enough to be understood by those who were 
in the public service; he earned high regard by his earnest 
study of great questions and by the independence and wisdom he 
displayed. 

No taint of corruption or dishonor ever stained his name, 
and it is therefore befitting that we should record here our 
affection for him and our appreciation for his honorable and 
useful life. 



58 Memorial Addresses: George \V. Smith 



Address of Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois 

Mr. PresidexT: Among the public men from Illinois whom 
death has claimed in recent years no one has held a better 
place in the affections of his constituents than George W. 
Smith, late a Member of the House of Representatives from 
the twenty-fifth district of Illinois. 

My acquaintance with Mr. Smith began when he came to 
the House of Representatives as a Member of the Fifty-first 
Congress. I had preceded him as a Member of the House by 
several years, and I shall never forget the favorable impression 
that he made upon me as he took his place among the Members 
of that great legislative body. He was a picture of manly 
beauty and was well endowed mentally. He was representing 
a constituency that once had been honored by the ser\'ice of 
Gen. John A. Logan, a constituency that demanded much from 
their Representative. He continued to represent his district in 
the House of Representatives for twenty years, and during that 
entire period steadily grew in the afifections and esteem of the 
good people of southern Illinois. 

Mr. Smith was a lawyer by profession, and for many years 
prior to his entering political life had made his home at Mur- 
physboro, 111., and had attained by his ability and industry a 
leading position among the lawyers of his section of the State. 
He was a ready and eloquent speaker, a logical reasoner, and a 
careful student of the law. Had he not been diverted from his 
profession into political life he would have undoubtedly been 
ranked as one of the leading lawyers of the State. He had a 
natural aptitude, however, for politics. Murphysboro was once 



Address of Mr. Hopkins, oj Illinois 59 

the home of Gen. John A. Logan and the center of poHtical 
life. Mr. Smith thus early was brought in contact with the 
leading men politically in his section of the State. The favor- 
able impression that he made upon them made it very easy for 
him to become their Representative in Congress. 

He had a few fierce battles to maintain his position during 
his twenty years of ser\nce in Congress, but on each of those 
occasions he displayed the ability, the ner^'e, and the dash that 
not only overcame. all opposition but strengthened him in tlie 
love and esteem of his constituents. I think at the time of 
his death he was never held in higher regard bv those who had 
followed his fortunes for twenty years. His work in Congress 
was marked by a steady growth. He ser\red on many of the 
important committees of the House of Representatives and on 
each of them displayed the industry and ability that had marked 
his early career as a lawyer. 

Mr. Smith was a lover of good literature and a man who had 
traveled extensively in his own and foreign countries. His 
reading and his travels had made him a broad-minded, cultured 
gentleman. In private life he was a genial and companionable 
man. His loss is deplored not only by his personal friends, but 
by a constituency that will long remember his services and 
honor his name. 

Mr. President, I ask for the adoption of the resolutions sub- 
mitted by my colleague. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 

Mr. Hopkins. As a further mark of respect to the memory 
of Mr. Smith, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. 

The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 3 o'clock 
and 30 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, 
Wednesday, December 16, 1908, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

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